Grain-meter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- C. A. WEVBR.

- GRAIN METER.

No. 539,560. Patented May 21, 1895.

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m: Hamm uns m. mumlmo., wnsulmon. n. c.

QNo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. o. A. WEYER. GRAIN METER.

No. 539,560. Patented-May 21, 1895.

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Nitrat) STATES CHARLES A. wEvER, oF CLAYTON, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-METER.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,560, dated May 21,1895.

Application filed April V5, 1894. Serial No. 506,478. (No molel.)V i

.To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. WEVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clayton, in the county of Adams and State of lllinois, haveinvented a new and useful Grain- Meter, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention relates to grain' meters; and it has for its object toprovidea portable machine of this character adapted to be readilytransported from place to place, and providing means for automaticallymeasuring the grain as it comes from the separator machine.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is toconstruct an automatically operating grain measure 'mounted on a truckforconvenient and ready transportation as-a separate machine,independent of the separator in connection with which it is employed,while at the salme time insuring novel and eihcient means for measuringand registering regulated quantities of grain automatically.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved grainmeasure mounted 4in operative position'at one side of aseparator-machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the automatic measuringdevices at the upper end of the elevator-spout. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the measuring devices from the side opposite to thatillustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal sec` tional Viewof that portion of the machine illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is adetailelevation, partly in section, at one side of the` clutch-gear.Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the clutch-gearing. Fig. 7 is adetail sectional view on the line of Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1, designates atruck frame mounted on the supporting wheels 2,and hav ing connected toone end thereof an ordinary draft tongue 3, which provides means forreadily transporting the truck from place to place independently of theseparator machine in connection with which it is employed, or bysuitably connecting the draft tongue to the near the lower end thereofthe o-standing pivot plates 6, provided at their outer extremities withthe pivot pins 7, 'which are pivotally supported on the rear end of thetruck frame 1, so that the elevator spout can be readily raised to itsinclined operative position or lowered to an inoperative positionresting on the truck frame with its lower receiving end `lifted 0E theground. When elevated or turned on its pivots to the positionillustrated in Fig. l, the said elevator spout is supported in thisposition by the removable supporting cross bar 8.

The removable supporting cross bar 8, is preferably removably secu-redto thetop'of the supporting frame 4., by the removable securing pins 9,which hold the bar in position for the elevator spout 5, to restthercagainst. By removing or swinging the bar 8, out of position it will"ne obvious that the upper heavy end of the elevatorcan be readilylowered onto the front-rest frame l0, secured to the frontend of thetruck frame and arising therefrom at an angle to receive the spout 5,which rests in the seat ll, at the upper end of the rest frame, and thislowering of the elevator spout may be readily eected after disconnectingcertain of the gearing connections as will be easily understood. I

The elevator spout 5, consists of an elongated closed box of theordinary construction, and the same is provided with or has attached tothe lower receiving end thereof the oppositely disposed conveyer boxes12, which communicate-at their inner ends with the lower end of thespout 5, and are provided at their upper outer ends with the receivingopenings 13, into which the grain is delivered from the grain spout 14,of an ordinary separator machine 15, at one side of which the measuringmachine herein described is arranged during j both feeding toward andinto the lower ends,

operation. The conveyer boxes 12, are ar ranged on both sides of thelower end of the spout 5, in order to adapt the machine for use ateither side of the separator machine, and extending longitudinally ofboth of the boxes 12, is the lower conveyer shaft 16, on which aremounted the right and left screw conveyers 17, located in the boxes 12,and

of the spout 5, it being understood that the grain delivered into one ofthe boxes 12, from the separator machine, will be carried by one ofthese screws into the lower end of the spout 5, where it is caught upbythe'endless bucket or scraper elevator 18.

The endless bucket or scraper elevator 1S, comprises anendless sprocketchain 19, anda series of regularly spaced buckets oriscraper blades20,attached to the chain, and thelower portion of the chain 19, `passesaround the lower chain or sprocket wheel 21, mounted at a central pointon the conveyer shaft 16, to communicate vmotion thereto, and the upperportion of said chain passes `around the upper chain or sprocket wheel22, mounted within the upper end of the spout 5, on the upper elevatorshaft 23, and said wheel 22,\is located directly above the elevator`platform or dividing board 24, which extends longitud inally of thespout 5, and separates the separate portions of the elevator in order toiconfine the grain in the lower side of the spout, Where it can beeasily elevated up to the upper discharging end thereof. The upper eleuvator shaft 23 has the opposite ends thereof projected through the sidebearing slots 25, formed in the upper end of the spout 5,and beyond saidslots the extremities of the shafts 23 are journaled in the bearingcollars 26, projected from one side of the adjustablebearing plates 27mounted to slide between the guide plates 28, secured to opposite outersides of Iliespout 5, and at one end of the guide plates 28 are arrangedthe threaded lugs 29, to receive the adjusting set screws 30, that worktherethrough and engage at one end of the bearing plates 27 to adjustthe same and maintain the'enless bucket or scraper elevator at the`proper tension.

To one projecting end of the elevator shaft 23is attached a chain orsprocket wheel 31,

over which passes the drive chain 32, driven from the chain wheel 33, onthe counter drive l shaft 24, jou rnaled at one side of the support ingframe 4a, and adapted to be suitablygeared with a shaft on the separatormachine 15 by` the connections 35 as clearly illustrated in thedrawings, and this gearing notonly `provides means for communicatingmotion `to the conveyers and the elevator, but also to the automaticmeasuring devices which will nowfbe.

described.

Atthe upper end of the elevator l8,the spout 5, is `provided with a topdischarge `chamber 36, having aninclined bottom boardA 37,onto `whichthe grain `falls from the buckets or Scrapers of the Velevator .18, asthe same ascends up to that point to deliver the grain into the topdischarge chamber 36, and extended below the top discharge chamber 36and communicating directly therewith is the measure box 38, which issufficiently large in `order to accumulate and deliver any reasonablequantities of grain. The measure box 38, is open at its lower end andhas attached to opposite side edges thereof the L-shaped guide plates39, which are extended inward beyond the box to a point near the spout5, as at 40, and said opposite guide plates 39, support fora slidingmovement therebetween the sliding bottom gate 41, that is designed tocover and uncover the open bottom of the measure box 38, in order toallow regulated quantities of grain to accumulate and to then deliver or discharge such measured quantities oflgrain into wagons or otherreceptacles.

The sliding bottom gate 4l, which is designed to automatically cover anduncover the bottom of the measure vbox 38,has attached to the undersidethereof the attaching lugs 42, to which are pivotallyconnectedoneend ofthe opposite gate arms 43,'the other ends of`which arepivotalliy connected at 44 to the opposite crank arms 45, secured fastto the opposite projecting extremities of the transverse crank shaft 46,by means of the set screws 47, working through the hub ends of saidcrank arms fast on the shaft, and for adjusting the same.

The said transverse crank shaft 46 is journaled transversely oftheelevator spout 5 and in suitable bearings at opposite sidesthereof,and at one side of one of the crank arms 45, outside of the spout 5, asprocket Wheel 48 is loosely mountedon the shaft 46, and is provided atits inner side with a ratchet hub or disk 49, at one side of which lhubor disk a revolving clutch plate 50, is secured fast on the shaft 46,and also outside of the elevator spout 5.

The clutch plate 50 that is fast on the shaft 46, has pivotally attachedto one side thereof, as at 5l, theclutch dog 52, which is provided atits lower side with an engaging point 53, normally engaged by theratchet hub or disk so that a rotation of the wheel 48, carrying saidhub or disk, would tend to revolve the plate 50 and thereby rotate theshaft 46. The revolving clutch plate 50 is provided at its outer edgewith a stop flange 54, disposed over the moving end of the dog 52, andsaid dog is provided at its moving end beyond the location of theengaging point 53, with a projecting rounded knuckle lug 55, whichloosely engages in the rounded knuckle notch 56 in one end of the bellcrank clutch lever 57. The bell crank clutch lever 57 is pivoted at itsangle, as at 58, to one side of the clutch 'the `outer edge of the plate50, so as to nor- `andproviding means for securing the same mally movethe lever 57, in a direction that holds the clutch dog 52 in engagement`with the ratchet hub or disk 49, whereby motion may be given to theshaft 46, and therefore to the crank arms 45 by the rotation of thewheel 48, and motion is given to this wheel from the sprocket chain 60,which is driven from the chain wheel 6l, secured to one end of theelevator shaft 23, and at a point adjacent to the wheel 48, one portionof said chain passes over the guide flange 62, projected from one sideof the slotted guide plate 63, adj ustably secured to one of the bracearms 64, a pair of which extend fronfthe spout 5 and are connected tothe measure box 38, to hold the same firmly in its proper position. Thesaid guide plate and its flange serve to guide the chain so as to holdthe same properly in engagement with thewheels to which it communicatesmotion. a

When the sliding bottom gate 41, is closed and the measure box 38 isfilling, the shaft 46, mustbe made stationary so as to not affect theclosed position of the gate, and this closed position of the gate causesthe crank arms 45, to assume such a position as to bring the outer freeend of the bell crank clutch lever 57 at one side of the trip iiange 65,disposed at one end 0f the trip lever 66, and at the point of engagementwith thefree extremity of the lever 57, the latter is also providedAwith a stop langeor lug 67, below which it is necessary to move thefiange 65, in order to allow the clutch lever 57, to pass beyond thesame, so that the shaft 46 may make a revolution to open and close thebottom gate 41.

The trip lever 66, is normally held in position which disposes theflange 65 in the path of the flange or lug 67, by means of thesupporting spring 68, attachedto the lever 66, and to one side of thespout 5, to normally support the lever 66 against the top portion of theU-shaped keeper plate 69, attached to one side of the spout 5, to limitthe upward movement ,of the said lever.

The trip lever66, is securely connected at one endto one end of a doublerock arm 70 extending to both sides of one end of a turning sleeve 71,loosely mounted on a shaft 72, journaled in suitable bearings 73 at oneside of the measure box 38, and said sleeve 71 has connected to the endopposite the double rock arm 70, a similar rock arm 74, working at oneside of the measure box and forming a bearing support for one end of thetrip shaft 75, the other end of which is journaled in one extremity ofthe double rock arm 70. The rock arms Working at one side of the measurebox '38, have an up and down movement, which is given thereto from theshaft 75, the ends of which work in the opposite side slots 76, near theupper end of the measure box, and said trip shaft 75, carries thereonWithin the upper end of the measure box the revolving trip paddle 77,whichiconsists of two or morere.- Volving blades 78 that are designed tobeat down on the grain as it riseswithin the measure box, to providemeans for elevating the shaft 75, rocking the sleeve 71, andI` therebylowering the trip lever 66 out of -the path of one end of the clutchlever 57, to throw the clutchgearing into gear with the wheel 48.

' `On one end of the trip shaft 75, is mounted the gear wheel 7 9,meshing with a similar gear wheel 8O mounted on one end of the shaft 72,to the other end of which is secured the chain wheel 73', over whichpasses a portionof the chain to communicate motion to the revolving trippaddle already described.

On one end of the shaft 46, opposite to the clutch gearing is mounted acam disk 82 that is almost a complete circle, with a iiattened side and,while the gate41 is opening and closing, bears against oneend of thelever 83, pivotally mounted at 84 on one side of the spout 5, andconnected at its other end to the connecting bar 85, the other end ofwhich is pivotally connected to the swinging end of the ,rock arm 86.The rock arm 86', is mounted on one outer end of the cut off shaft 86,journaled at one top side of the top discharge chamber 36, and havingattached thereto one end of the swinging cut-off plate 87. After theshaft 46 has commenced to move, the cam 82, quickly throws the plate 87across the space between the chamber 36 and the box 38, to cut offthefurtherfeeding of the grain into the measure box until the gate 41has completely opened and closed again. After the shaft 46has made acomplete revolution to secure the opening and closing of the bottom gatein the manner described, one of the gate arms 43 is broughtintoengagement withthe spring hook catch 88, which engages at the underside of the said'arm near its connection with one of the crank arms 45and prevents these arms'from dropping downward so as to adect theposition of the gate 41, while the box 38 is filling. The said springhook catch 88, is mounted for adjustment in the supporting plates 89 atone side of the spout 5, and is provided with a threaded shank 90 toreceive the nut 91, for properly adjusting the position of said catchwith respect to the gate arm which it engages, and one of said gate armsis also adapted to engage at one side of the tally lever 92, pivotallymounted at one side of the lever box 38,and suitably connected with theoperating devices of an ordinary grain tally 93, which registers eachdischarge of the measure box 38, a spring 94 being connected withsaidtally lever 92, to retract the same when one end of the operating gatearm 43 leaves the same.

The quantity of grain to be accumulated in, and therefore measured by,the box 38, is regulated by' means of the measure regulating gate 95,pivoted or hinged at its upper end to one side of the measure boxandworkingtherein. An adjusting screwf 96, works through one side of themeasure box and against the plate 95, to provide means for regulating orgraduating the quantity of grain to be measured.

IOO

IIO

At opposite sides of the measure box 38 are attached the off-standingcurved supporting loops 97, which are adapted to be loosely engaged bythe hooks 98, extended above the upper end of a detachable delivering`spout 99. The detachable delivering spout 99 is provided with an upperfunnel end 100 and is disposed at an angle projecting to one side of themeasure to provide for delivering the measured grain into wagons orother receptacles, and the loose connectionof said spout with themeasuring vbox allows the same to be shifted or turned to directs thegrain into different wagons or receptacles.

With the bottom gate 41, closed, the endless bucket or scraper elevator18, will deliver the grain into the measure box 38, which will commenceto till up, and while the box is filling, the trip lever 66, is in aposition which holds the clutch gearing inactive, inasmuch as therotation of the ratchet hub or disk 49 will simply lift up the dog 52,by breaking its knuckle joint with the clutch lever 57. When the grainreaches the revolving trip paddle 77, the said paddle will be lifted byits blade to raise the trip shaft and lower the trip lever 66 out ofengagement with the clutch lever 57. The shaft 4G will `now be throwninto gear with the Wheel 48, and the gate 41 will be slid open todischarge the contents of the measure box, and will be closed againbefore the clutch devices are thrown out of gear by the trip lever 66.In the meantime the cut-oft plate 87, will be closed and will remainclosed untilthe opening devices for the gate are again thrown out ofgear.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided an improvedmeasuring machine possessing many advantages over those already on themarket as will bereadily appreciated by those skilled in the art, and Iwill have it understood that changes in the form, proportion and theminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a portable grain measure, the combination of an independentwheeled truckhaving an upright supporting frame at one end, and anupright front rest frame at its opposite end, an elevator spoutpivotally mounted near its lower end on the truck frame and adapted,when lowered, to rest on said front rest frame, means for temporarilysecuring the spout within the upright supporting frame inlan inclinedupright position, and measuring devices connected with the upper end ofsaid spout, substantially as set forth.

2. In a portable grain measure, the combination of an independentwheeled trucklhaving an upright supporting frame at one end, and at itsopposite end an upright front rest frame provided with a rest seat atits upper end, an elevator spout having opposite pivot pins near itslower end pivotally secured on the truck frame, a removable cross baritted on top of said supporting frame and adapted to be disposed at oneside of the spout to support the same temporarily in an inclined uprightposition, and measuring devices `connected with the upper end of saidspout, sub stantially as set forth.

3. In a grain measure, an elevator spout`having a fixed ostandingmeasure box at its up per end, asliding bottom gate supported to workover the open bottom of said measure box, a transversely arranged crankshaft having end crank arms at Vits opposite ends, gate arms pivotallyconnected to said crank arms and to the sliding bottom gate, a gearwheel mounted loosely on one end of the crank shaft and having at oneside a ratchethub, a jointed-lever gear clutch mounted fast on the shaftand having its joint normally closed so as to engage with said ratchethub, `means for automatically tripping or breaking the joint of saidgear clutch, and also for `allowing the same to automatically close,substantially as set forth.

4. In a grain measure, the combination of an elevator spout having ameasure box communicating with its upper end, a sliding bottom gatesupported to cover and uncover the bottom of the lmeasure box, atransversely arranged crank shaft -having crank arms at its extremitiessuitably connected with said gate, a gear wheel loosely mounted'on thecrank shaft at one end and provided with a ratchet huba clutch platemounted fast on the shaft at one side of the ratchet hub, and providedwith a stop fiange at its upper edge, a clutch dog pivoted at one end tosaid plate and normally engaged with said ratchet hub, said dog havingat its free end a knuckle lug, a bell crank clutch lever pivoted at itsangle to the clutch plate and provided at one end with a knuckle notchloosely receiving the lug of the clutch dog, a spring connected to thebell crank clutch lever andto the clutch plate to normally hold the dogin engagement with the ratchet huband an automatically operatedtrip-lever having a trip Iiange adapted to be thrown in and out of thepath .of one end of said clutch lever, substantially as set forth.

5. In a grain measure, an elevator spout having an ofstanding measurebox at its upper end, said measure box having slots in opposite sidesthereof, a sliding bottom gate t'or the measure box, clutch gearingsuitably connected with the gate for opening and closing the same, saidclutch gearing having a bell crank clutch lever provided with a stopflange at its free extremity, a vertically movable revolving trip paddlearranged to revolve within the upper end ofthe measure box and havingits extremities play up and down in said slots, a rocking frame suitablysupported and connected at one end with said vertically mov ablerevolving paddle, a trip lever connected to said rocking frame andhaving at its free IIO end a trip flange adapted to 'oe moved :intoy andout of the path of the stop lug of said clutch lever, a keeper -to limitthe upward movement of the trip lever, and a supporting spring connectedwith said trip lever, substantially as set forth.

6. In a grain measure, an elevator spout having an oft-standing measurebox at its upper end, said measure box having slo'ts in opposite sidesthereof, an elevator traveling Within the spout, a sliding bottom gatefor the measure box, clutch gearing suitably connected with the slidingbottom gate, one of the parts of said gearing being a sprocket Wheel, arevolving trip paddle arranged within the upper end of the measure boxand having its extremities playing in said slots, a shaft journaled atone side of' the measure box and having gear Wheels at both ends, one ofwhich is suitably geared with the trip paddle shaft to revolve the same,an endless chain arranged to pass over the other one of said gearWheels, the sprocket Wheel of the clutch gearing, and driven from theelevator within the spout, a rocking frame turning on the shaft at oneside of the measure box and carrying said trip paddle, a springsupported trip lever extended from said rocking frame and adaptedtoengage and disengage the clutch gearing, and an adjustable flanged guideplate suitably supported to engage at one side of said endless chain,substantially as set forth. l

7 In a grain measure, the combination of an elevator spout having anoft-standin g measure box at its upper end, a sliding bottom gate forthe measure box, a rotating crank shaft having end crank-arms, gate armsconnected to the crank-arms and to the gate, an adjustable spring-hookcatch adapted to engage one of said gate arms, a swinging cut-oft platearranged within the space opening into the measure box and adapted toclose and open the same, lever connections with said swing-Y ing cut-offplate, one of which lever connections is pivoted at one side of theelevator spout, and a cam disk mounted fast on one end of said crankshaft to engage one end of the said pivotally mounted lever connection,said cam disk having a flattened side substantially as set forth. y

8. In a grain measure, an elevator spout having a measuring box at itsupper end, opposite olf-standing curved supporting loops attached toopposite sides of t-he measuring box, and a detachable and adjustabledelivering spout disposed at an angle and having hooks at its upperflared end adapted to loosely engage over said loops, to admit of aturning or swin ging adjustment for the spout substantially as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES A. WEVER.

Witnesses:

J. W. MARRETT, F. A. MONTGOMERY.

